Making things for a living is a bit of a journey for me that has several aspects. Of course, there's planning and contemplation, drinking coffee and actually making work ... but, one of the really satisfying aspects is witnessing the transformation from "work in progress" to "finished".

My finishing bench may look a little short of austere but it has witnessed the evolution of many functional and fine art forms over the years. It is here that my creative works change from dusty wannabes to shining debutants waiting to head out into the world.

The finishing bench is home to an assortment of chemicals and mysterious liquids. Some have been procured off-the-shelf while others are a self-made alchemy of ingredients that sometimes don't fit together ... And, in many cases, the identities have long been forgotten.

These days my finishing toolkit numbers only about three basic techniques. Over the years, I have experimented with dozens of products and methods of application. Sometimes I've followed the directions ... more often than not, I've made up my own rules.

The finishes I use now have been arrived at with the view to producing the exact look, feel and degree of protection that I desire or require. Some of my finishing methods are a bit labour-intensive, but my principal goal is to create a finish ... look and feel ... which will make people go 'wow'.